Transmission brake



Dec. 16, 1924. l,5197,400

R.\/. FITZ GERALD TRANSMI S S I ON BRAKE Filed June .6, 1923 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

PATENT (.)FFICIE'Hl RAYMOND V. FIIZ GER-ALD, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO XVILLIAIVI P. IFIIZ GERALD, GIF PHJLLIPSBUBG, NEW` JERSEY.

TEANSMISSl'QN BRAKE.

Application filed .Tune G,

Y 1,o @ZZ whomI t may concern.:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND V. Fira GERALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Easton, county of Northampton, and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in rl'ransmission Brakes, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, torming a part of same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in brake or transmission bands for automobiles, and particularly for the transmission bands of lFord automobiles.

In the well known Ford type ot car the transmission drum` is mounted in a two-part casing and the transmission bands are loosened or tightened on the drums by means of spring; rods connected with the bands and passing, through the casing, the rods being operated from suitable levers or pedals located outside the casing.

lVhen it is necessary to reline these bands or to get them out for any other desired reason, it has been necessary to take oli' thetop ot' the casing, disconnect the rods and springs, and then take the bands out. rlhis is a slow tedious operation, taking considerable time.

It has been proposed to provide a band having an ear or lug' which can be removed by the insertion ot a. suitable tool inside the casing, to malte it unnecessary to take the casing down to get at the bands and drums. In these proposed structures, hown ever, it has been l,usually necessary to disconnect the rods from their operating mechanism and remove them ybefore the cars and bands could be removed from the transmission casing.

It is the especial object vot the present invention to provide .a brake or transmission band having a removable ear or ears so formed and arranged that the ear may be removed from the band and from .the rod without it being necessary to take down or disconnect the rod or casing in any way.

It is a yfurther object ot the invention to provide an improved removable ear which can be readily snapped into position ion the band and in which end play with respect 1923. Serial No. 643,624.

to the band is prevented by either a pull or push on the ear.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an ear which can be conveniently and cheaply made, the ears being so formed that -they can be made at the same casting and used on opposite ends ot the bands.

With these and other objects not specitically referred to, the invention consists in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinations, which will be fully described in connection with the1 accompanying drawing, and the novel features then point Vd out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to these drawings- Figure l is a sectional elevation ot a transmission casing and its drum, brake band, and operating` rod therefor, embodying the novel features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view` of the band.

Figure 3 is a tace view on an ,enlarged scale and partly in section of the improved band and associated ear Figure -l is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig'. 3.

.Referringl now to these drawings, the construction which has been chosen to illustrate the invention is the transu'iission drum ot' an automobile ot the Ford type. It will be understood that as to certain teatui-'es the invention can and is intended to bc used iu other relations.

ln the drawings the transmission drum l is mounted on a shait 2, these parts being, positioned in a casing which includes a low er part 3 and an upper part et. these parts being' provided with co-operating flanges 5 secured together by bolts 6. The upper part ot this casing' is closed by a removable cap plate 7.

Encircling the drum is awtransmission band 8. This transmission band is a flexible band, such as a steel band and is provided as usual with a friction lining 9, This band is a split band, as usual, and encircles the drum, and this band is tightened or loosened on the drum by means of .a rod l() which takes bearing in a sleeve ll passing through the wall oi the upper part Ll ot' the casing, the rod beine; operated by any suitable lever mechanism, indicated at l2.

This rod takes through a pair of projections or ears indicated by the numeral 13, these ears forming an important feature of the invention. While these ears may be formed in various ways, they will be so constructed and arranged that they may be removed sideways from the operating rod 10 so that it is unnecessary to take out tlierod 10 or disassociate it with its actuating mechanism. Furthermore, these ears will be so associated with the band that any end play in either direction relatively tothe band is prevented, and these ears will also be so secured in position that one or both of them may be readily removed from the band by a suitable tool, as a screw driver.

In the best constructions both ears are made removable. As shown, the band is provided at or near the edge of its open ends with a pair of holding projections 14, 15 conveniently formed by pressing in the metal of the band, and the lower projection is formed with a recess 16 facing toward the end of the band. The bands at their ends are provided with stops conveniently produced by turning over the end of the metal of the band, as indicated at 17. The improved ear or ear members are shown as including an ear proper marked 13 rising from a base 19, these parts being preferably integral. The ears 13 are formed with slots 2O which are generally T-shaped with the stem of the T opening sidewise of the projection, as indicated at 21 in Figs. 2 and 3. The ends of the head of the T form recesses for holding the rod when the ears are in cooperative relation therewith.

The bases are provided with a slot 22 which fits over the upper projection 14 on the band and the end of the base is cut away at each side to form a tab 23 which fits into the socket 16, before referred to.

With this construction the ears are held firmly in position on the band against end play and by lifting, through a suitable tool, from the band the ear may be removed sidewise and thus free the rod. The ears are easily accessible by simply removing the cover plate 7 from the transmission casing and after the ear or ears are removed from the band the band may be readily withdrawn from the casing.

In the best constructions the ears are spring seated on the band, that is, a construction is adopted by which the members may be snapped in position and held with sufiicient firmness so that the movement of 'the rod does not loosen them from the plate,

and spring means is provided by the invention for accomplishing this.

In the particular construction illustrated there is secured to the band, as by rivets or in any other suitable manner, a spring plate 24, this plate having spring ears 25 between which the upper @11d 0f the base may be sprung, these ears being formed with projections 26 adapted to extend into recesses 27 formed in the sides of the bases 19, before referred to, this plate 24 being located preferably just to the rear of the end stop 17, before referred to.

In the assemblage of the parts preferably the side recesses 21 in the ears face toward opposite sides of the band so that the same casting ma be arranged for the parts at each end o the band.

'With the construction as shown and described, a very simple and efiicient securing device for the transmission or brake bands has been provided, and one in which the band may be removed from its assoi ciated mechanism without dismantling the latter in any way'and one which can be simply and cheaply made and assembled. While the invention has been shown'and described in its preferred form, it will be understood that various changes may; be made in the specific structure described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a brake or transmission band, the

combination with a drum, of a flexiblebandl encircling the drum, a rod for operating the band, ears on-the ends of the band, said ears being provided with rod receiving slots opening to the side of the band whereby the ears may be removed sidewise from the rod, and means for removably locking one of the ears to the band.

2. In a brake or transmission band, the combination with a drum, of a -flexible band encircling the drum, a rod for operating the band, ears on the ends of the band, said ears having rod receiving slots opening to the side .olf the band whereby the ears may be removed sidewise from the rod, means for removably locking one of the ears to the band, and means for preventing end play between the removable ear and the band in either direction. v c

3. In a brake or transmission band, vthe combination with a drum, of a fiexible band encircling the drum, a rod for operating the band, end stops on the ends of the band, upper and lower projections on the band, ears having bases positioned on the ends of the band, slots in the bases into which the upper projections enter. tabs on the bases entering the lower' projections whereby the bases are removably secured on the band, said ears having rod receiving slots open-7 ing to the side of the band.

4. In a brake or transmission band, the combination with a drum, of a flexible band encircling the drum, a rod for operating the band, end stops on the ends of the band, raised sockets on the band, ears having bases positioned on the band Vbetween the end stops and the sockets and having tabs pro jecting into the latter, said ears having rod receiving slots, and spring members on the sides of the band between which the ears may be sprung for removably locking them in place.

5. An ear for transmission or brake bands including a base and means for removably securing it to a band, the ear having a rod receiving slot opening sidewise thereof.

6. An ear for transmission or brake bands including a base and means for removably securing it to a band, said ear rising from the base and having a slot provided with an opening sideWise thereof and rod receiving recesses at each side of the opening.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

RAYMOND V. FITZ GERALD. 

